Years of experience have taught us what people want to see on the calendar, and what they don't want to see.
Resolution and Size:
The Hummer Calendar has always been of the highest quality possible, so photos need to be high resolution. Two megapixel minimum, four megapixel or greater digital is preferred. The larger the photo size the better. There is a big difference between computer screens and print. A photo that fills up a computer screen will be quite small in print. One reason we need high resolution is that almost all photos have to be blown up for the print calendar. We prefer not to use photos shot on film because that requires mailing in negatives which need to be taken to a photo lab for drum-scanning, then returned. This costs both time and money, and there's always the chance of a valuable negative being lost in the mail.
Content:
People want to see close-up extreme action shots of Hummers. The Hummer should take up around 1/3 of the photo or more, not seen in the distance. It should jump off the page at you. In your face. If there's dirt or sand being kicked up, or water or mud being splashed up, that's a plus. Angles and/or wheels off the ground are also pluses. See the examples below.
Avoid:
Posed shots, even if the background scenery is breathtaking. Any vehicle can be parked in front of nice scenery. People want to see Hummers doing what only Hummers can do. People in the shots, including spotters. Other vehicles which are not Hummers. Power lines or other unattractive things in the background. Hummers in parking lots, driveways or on pavement.
Lighting and Color:
Hummer should not be in a shadow. If the sun is behind the Hummer, the front of the Hummer will be in shadow. If the sun is overhead, the top of the Hummer will be in light while the bottom will be in shadow. It works best when the sun is behind the camera. Colors should be brilliant and consistent. Automatic cameras will adjust for lighting conditions and if the Hummer is dark compared to the background, the background will be made lighter. Rocks, sky, etc. can be washed out. Focus should be sharp. The finer the detail, the better.
Descriptions/Captions:
You should be prepared to furnish a description or caption for each photo. This would include information about the truck(s) in the photo, such as model year and engine type, as well as names of owners and/or drivers, the place where the photo was taken and anything else about the photo that might be interesting.
IMPORTANT:
In order to submit a photo for the calendar, you must own the photo. We cannot use photos without the clear rights to do so. If you have purchased a photo from somewhere, you might own a copy of that photo, but you do not own the rights to it (unless you have specifically obtained those rights). If you have found a photo in a book or magazine, we cannot use it. We can only accpet a photo if you have taken it yourself, or it was taken by a friend or family member who will not question our right to use it for publication. No copyrighted material, such as logos, visible in a photo can be used without permission. We will not take even the slightest chance of being sued over the use of a photo.
By submitting a photo for the calendar, you can and do grant us the right to publish it in print. This should be clearly understood. If you are not absolutely certain that you own the rights to a photo, please do not submit it.
